Stroke victims taking statins have increased risk of death and a 140% increased risk of infection

This study was published in the European Journal of Neurology 2008 Jan;15(1):82-90

Study title and authors:
Simvastatin in the acute phase of ischemic stroke: a safety and efficacy pilot trial.

Montaner J, Chacón P, Krupinski J, Rubio F, Millán M, Molina CA, Hereu P, Quintana M, Alvarez-Sabín J.
Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Neurovascular Unit, Hospital Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain. 31862jmv@comb.es

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18070096

This study was a double-blind, randomised, multicentre clinical trial to study the effects of simvastatin in patients the first 90 days after a cortical stroke. The study included 60 patients with cortical strokes (a cortical stroke occurs when the blood supply to the outside, or cortex, of the brain is reduced or blocked, which results in brain damage) who were given either simvastatin or placebo at three to12 hours from symptom onset.

The study found:
(a) More patients taking simvastatin died compared to patients taking placebo.
(b) Patients taking simvastatin had a 140% increased risk of infection compared to patients taking placebo.

Links to other studies:
Patients taking statins after a stroke have a 68% increased risk of suffering another stroke
Statins increase the incidence of liver damage
Statins associated with increased bleeding in the brain in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage

Stroke patients with low cholesterol have an 87% increased risk of death

This study was published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases 2013 Oct 5. pii: S1052-3057(13)00338-8

Study title and authors:
High Cholesterol Levels Are Associated with Improved Long-term Survival after Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Markaki I, Nilsson U, Kostulas K, Sjöstrand C.
Department of Neurology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ioanna.markaki@ki.se.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24103674

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cholesterol levels on death rates in patients that had suffered an ischemic stroke. (Ischemic stroke occurs when an artery to the brain is blocked). The study lasted for seven years and included 190 patients. Patients were classified as having high cholesterol, above 4.6 mmol/L (178 mg/dL), or low cholesterol, below 4.6 mmol/L (178 mg/dL).

The study found that ischemic stroke patients with low cholesterol had an 87% increased risk of death compared to ischemic stroke patients with high cholesterol.  

Statins double the risk of stroke

This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 2005 Jul 21;353(3):238-48

Study title and authors:

Atorvastatin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing hemodialysis.

Wanner C, Krane V, März W, Olschewski M, Mann JF, Ruf G, Ritz E; German Diabetes and Dialysis Study Investigators.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. wanner_c@medizin.uni-wuerzburg.de

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16034009?dopt=Abstract

This study investigated the effects of statin (atorvastatin) treatment in diabetic patients receiving hemodialysis. The study included 1,255 subjects with type 2 diabetes who were receiving hemodialysis who were assigned to receive either 20 mg of atorvastatin per day or matching placebo.

The study found:

• Those receiving atorvastatin had twice the risk of a fatal stroke.
• Death rates were similar in both groups.

This study found that atorvastatin increased stroke risk and had no effect on total death rates.  

Patients taking statins after a stroke have a 68% increased risk of suffering another stroke

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Neurology June 10, 2008 vol. 70 no. 24 Part 2 2364-2370

Study title and authors:

Books:

Hemorrhagic stroke in the Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels study

L. B. Goldstein, MD, P. Amarenco, MD, M. Szarek, MS, A. Callahan III, MD, M. Hennerici, MD, PhD, H. Sillesen, MD, DMSc, J. A. Zivin, MD, PhD, K.M.A. Welch, MB, ChB and On behalf of the SPARCL Investigators*

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.neurology.org/content/70/24_Part_2/2364.abstract

This paper analysed the association between statins and hemorrhagic stroke in patients who had suffered a recent stroke. The study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial and included 4,731 patients, aged 18 years and over, who were followed for 4.9 years. The patients received either:
(i) Atorvastatin 80 mg per day.
(ii) Placebo.

The study found:
(a) Patients who received the statin had a 68% increased risk of fatal and non-fatal hemorrhagic stroke compared to those who received placebo.
(b) Patients who received the statin had a 140% increased risk of non-fatal hemorrhagic stroke compared to those who received placebo.

Patients taking statins after a stroke have an increased risk of suffering another stroke.

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